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Rich Fairbanks knows what a healthy forest looks like, so when he and his wife bought forested land in the Little Applegate Valley in Southern Oregon in 2003, he started making plans to bring fire back to the land. “These forests historically saw fire, on average, about every six to ten years” said Fairbanks. Rich holds a Masters degree and a technicians degree in forestry, and is a founding FUSEE Board Member, and has semi-retired after a 32 year career with the Forest Service, which included 20 years in fire management. “Since 1911, we have been suppressing fires to the maximum extent possible,” Fairbanks adds. This has decreased biodiversity, allowed more fuel to build up, and led to higher intensity fires. There are however, obstacles to carrying out prescribed burns on private land, including the need for trained firefighters, fire engines, and many watchful eyes to keep track of the fire’s behavior. After years of doing his own micro-burns, Fairbanks was able to collaborate with the Rogue Valley Prescribed Burn Association, a first of its kind group for the state. Prescribed Burn Associations bring together landowners, volunteers, and trained fire professionals to put “good fire” on the land. This allows private landowners to gain the ecological benefits of fire, as well as improve home safety by reducing burnable materials. (continue reading article here)
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